In Remembrance
by Muse of Fanfiction
Summary: Athena remembers exactly why she was called 'Pallas Athena'. An Athena one-shot.


The great goddess Athena was by her lonesome in the room of the mystical scrying pool in the palace of Mount Olympus. As she stood at the edge of the pool, her piercing grey eyes were concentrated on the waters which were now projecting a scene that was happening in Athens, her patron city.

She watched as the citizens of her city gathered around her majestic Parthenon to celebrate a festival in her honour. All sang of praises and hymns to her and laid down the best of their offerings on her altar. Each worshiper had a smile of gratitude on his or her face with no sign of it ever disappearing anytime soon.

Athena looked at each face that her eyes could see in the waters. One in particular caught her attention. It was a girl who looked to be in her early-teens and was placing a big and colourful bouquet of wild flowers delicately on the altar. Then she took a step back and looked up at the majestic statue that was supposed to resemble the goddess (although it looked absolutely nothing like her in majority).

With a smile on her rosy lips, the girl gave a slight bow and said, "Thank you for flourishing the city with many greatness, great and glorious Pallas Athena."

At hearing the title that went with her name, Athena's breathing halted, but she remained impassive.

In her mind, only one name rang through it.

_Pallas_

And then, she recalled the memory of that fateful day.

* * *

"That was good training, Athena."

A younger, teenaged Athena looked over to her side, to the girl who was breathing heavily like her. The girl had white-blonde hair that fell a few inches below her ears and calm blue eyes that were flecked with green. Having light-coloured hair and eyes that contained the colour green was quite a common trait for a descendant of Poseidon.

Athena smiled and nodded her head. "Indeed it is, Pallas," she said. "Indeed it is."

She and the girl, Pallas, had been best friends for as long as she could remember. They shared the same interests and their most private secrets with each other. Pallas too was a surrogate sister of Athena's, due to the fact that Triton, Pallas' father, acted as a second father-figure to her when Zeus was unavailable.

Right now, it was one of those days when Zeus was busy, and Athena was sent to Triton's care. He was away at the moment, and the girls were in an empty and vast field on the mortal lands, having just finished their training. Both girls specialised and excelled in the art of war, each of them gifted with their own set of skills in battle.

When her heartbeat slowed to its normal rate and her breathing too became normal, Athena picked up her dagger, which was lying beside her on the grass, and studied it. Her piercing grey eyes gazed at the handle, which was made of strong red mahogany wood, then at the cross guards, crafted out of gold, and finally at the long and sharp blade, which was made of strong silver.

It was the most beautiful weapon she had set her sights on. It had been gifted to her just that morning from her father, Zeus. Another beautiful but lethal weapon forged from the creative and crafty hands of her older half-brother, Hephaestus. Her father told her it was a gift suitable for her title as a Goddess of Battle.

"That's a really nice dagger," Pallas suddenly commented. "I forgot to ask about it just now. Where did you get it?"

Still keeping her eyes on the dagger but turning her head to the side a little bit, Athena answered, "It's a gift from father. It's a beauty, is it not?"

Pallas' hand shot out then, turned over to show her opened palm. It was a silent gesture for Athena to put the dagger in her hand and let her study it for herself. And Athena did just that. It was normal for both of them to usually take each other's things without needing to ask for permission. That showed how close they were.

After the dagger was placed carefully in her hand, Pallas grasped the handle carefully and brought it closer to her face to study it closer. She then slid the pad of her index finger on the fuller of the silver blade, quickly touching the point of the blade with the same index finger and then made swift sparring motions with it. All this as Athena watched quietly.

When she was done examining it, Pallas returned the dagger to her. "A perfect weapon for a daughter of Zeus," Pallas muttered. "Especially for the Goddess of Battle."

"Thanks," Athena replied simply and went back to examining her dagger. It was quiet for a while, until Pallas suddenly quipped, "Though I doubt that you could win a fight with just a dagger."

In a flash, Athena whipped her head to her friend and asked rather defensively, "Why would you say that?"

Pallas cocked an eyebrow at her sudden mood, and replied nonchalantly, "Nothing, nothing. It was just a thought. I mean, it is just a simple dagger."

Those words did no good and only made Athena's annoyance rise higher. "Are you implying that this dagger is not powerful?" she accused. "Bear in mind that this is a dagger gifted to me by my father, the king of the skies. And I can assure you that I am fully capable of winning a battle with this dagger and nothing else."

"Want to bet?"

Athena's eyebrows furrowed when she heard the smug and challenging tone of Pallas' voice. Pallas too was looking at her rather smugly with an eyebrow raised and her lips pressed tightly together in a criticising smirk.

That was one thing that Athena hated about her. Her friend could be such a proud and vain person sometimes, always trying to be above-it-all. Pallas was her best friend, yes, but she couldn't help but simply hate that trait of hers.

Gripping the hilt of her gifted dagger tighter, Athena got to her feet and looked down at her friend with a hard gaze.

"Name the challenge," she said with a hard edge in her voice.

Pallas' smirk tilted higher and she too got on her feet. Producing her own iron dagger from its scabbard which was hanging from her belt, she spoke with her nose held high, "A fight. A real fight, with no restraints. No weapons except for the daggers in our hands. Winner will do as they wish to the loser."

Athena kept silent and focused her gaze on Pallas as she considered the challenge. Feeling the weight of the dagger in her hand, she tried to determine whether she could defeat her with just that.

_Of course you can! _she shouted at herself in her head. _You weren't made the Goddess of Battle for nothing!_

"Challenge accepted," she answered sternly, before turning and walking away to get a proper starting point. Pallas too did the same, the smirk still on her lips.

Both of them then stood apart at a reasonable distance and turned around to face each other. The dagger in each of their hand was gripped tightly and their muscles were tensing in anticipation.

"Remember the rules," Pallas called out, and then said loudly, "Three…"

Athena took a deep breath and said just as loudly, "Two…"

Then there was a moment of silence. The air seemed to still as the girls stared at each intensely and crouched slightly, ready for take-off. All Athena could hear was the rapid beating of her heart and her slow breathing.

Finally, both of them called out, "ONE!"

And they launched at each other.

_Unknown to them, Zeus had been watching the whole confrontation. He especially noted how Pallas dared to belittle Athena's ability with a dagger and how the said goddess looked insulted after that. And Zeus too felt insulted. _

_How dare this insignificant water nymph belittle a daughter of Zeus? Insulting Athena was an indirect insult to him. All children sired by him would never be anything but perfect and powerful. Athena was, of course, no exception._

_Athena did not take the insult too well and when Pallas had proposed a challenge to fight without restraints and with just daggers, she did not hesitate to accept, and Zeus felt proud of her bravery to protect her dignity._

_Now, the brawl had commenced, and Zeus watched with concentration as the girls fought against each other fiercely. He especially took notice of how swift but strong Athena's movements were. She ducked and kicked and swung her gifted dagger at her opponent, trying to find a weak spot to take her down. _

_Unfortunately, Pallas was just as good as her. The girl managed to land a few punches on Athena and dodge her attacks in time. But Zeus wasn't pleased with her strength. He wanted his daughter to be the victor, of course. _

_And he was going to do everything he can to make it so._

"Given up yet, Athena?"

Athena wiped sweat away from her brow with the back of the hand which was holding onto her dagger. She was tired, but by no means was she about to give up. Her determination to put Pallas in her place still flared strongly, even growing in strength with each passing minute.

"As if," Athena replied harshly, and threw herself at Pallas. Both of them fell to the ground and started to wrestle.

"I was just joking!" Pallas shouted angrily as she grabbed Athena's arms and tried to throw her off. "Why do you have to be so sensitive about it?!"

Keeping her hands on Pallas' shoulder to pin her down to the ground, Athena replied, "You didn't take it back! Why do you have to insult me in the first place?!"

Pallas gained the upper-hand then and pushed her off before getting back on her feet. Athena rolled on the ground for a while from the push before getting back on her own feet. She readied the dagger once again in her hand.

Pallas looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. Gripping her own iron dagger, she muttered, "If that's how you want to play it, then so be it."

And without hesitation, she charged towards the young goddess and pointed her dagger towards her. Luckily, Athena anticipated her attack and deflected her dagger with her own.

And so, they fought against each other with their daggers, hearing the clashing of the silver against the iron.

_Zeus stood nearby, completely invisible to the two feuding girls. In his hands he held the aegis, a breastplate that was crafted by Hephaestus. The aegis was made of shining iron and covered with the skin of a goat, the fur coloured dark brown. It was his, but was intended as another gift for Athena._

_But now, he decided to use the aegis as somewhat of a way to let Athena gain the upper-hand. He waited, tensing for the perfect moment to execute his plan._

_The moment finally came when Pallas planted her feet on Athena's stomach and kicked her a few feet away. Athena landed briefly but quickly got back on her feet to charge at the water nymph. The very second Pallas raised her dagger once again, Zeus tossed the aegis into the air, just above her._

_The shadow of the breastplate covered the girl. Instinctively, she looked up to see what it was that hung above her in the sky._

_If she hadn't looked up, she would have been able to dodge Athena's dagger, which was now buried deep in the centre of her chest._

Everything around her seemed to still as she heard Pallas' cries of pain and anguish.

Athena's grey eyes widened and she took a step back, disbelieving of what she had just done. She didn't want to think that she had done it, but she couldn't deny that she did, thanks to the fact that the silver blade of the dagger was stuck in Pallas' chest.

Athena could hear how strangled her breathing sounded coming out of her mouth. Her knees wobbled and she struggled to keep herself standing. Her hands flew upwards to grab her hair, and she wasn't aware that she was pulling at it.

Blood started flowing out of Pallas' mouth and her breathing started becoming shallow. Her knees bent and she fell to her side onto the ground. She turned to lie on her back, her eyes blankly looking up at the clear blue sky.

It was then Athena finally found her voice, and she instantaneously cried, "**PALLAS!**"

_Zeus, still invisible, went over to pick up the aegis where it had fallen. Then, he turned around to look at Athena when he heard her cry out her mortally wounded friend's name in anguish._

_He breathed heavily and shut his eyes as he thought, _Forgive me, my dear Athena. But this is a punishment to anyone who insults a goddess.

_Without staying a second longer, he disappeared from the scene._

The goddess hurried to her best friend's side and took her in her arms. Quickly, she grabbed the hilt of her dagger and pulled it out of Pallas' chest, causing the nymph's breathing to hitch and her face to wince at the pain.

Athena threw the dagger away and brought her hand to cup Pallas' cheek. In a strangled voice, she murmured, "Pallas… Pallas… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

She could feel hot tears pooling in her eyes and some droplets streaming down her cheeks, falling off her chin onto Pallas' face. Athena's body shook as she started crying in a mixture of immense sadness and guilt.

Suddenly, Pallas lifted a hand and placed it on the one on her cheek. With a small smile, she whispered, "It's alright, my friend…. That just shows that you proved yourself to be strong and powerful…"

"But what's the point?!" Athena screamed through her tears. "I hurt you just so that I could win a petty argument! I'm an idiot! I deserve to die!"

Pallas weakly shushed her and held her hand as tightly as she could. Slowly, Athena slowed her crying, but her eyes were now completely red as she looked at her dying best friend.

"It's alright, Athena…" Pallas murmured. "I forgive you…"

Hearing her say that made Athena's heart break even more. With more tears flowing down her cheeks, she bent her head down to kiss Pallas' forehead. Pallas smiled at the touch.

"Can you promise me something?" she asked in a dying whisper.

"Anything, Pallas…." Athena replied in a sob. "Anything…"

Pallas could feel herself losing her grip on Athena's hand, but she struggled to hold on as she whispered, "Promise me you'll always be strong…"

Athena studied her face through her tears when she heard her say that. Honestly, she didn't know whether she could be strong anymore after knowing that she was responsible for her friend's incoming death. She should be punished harshly for her actions.

But then again, she knew that was what Pallas wanted her to do. To be strong. Right now, Athena was willing to do anything to make her happy, even if she had passed on.

"I promise…" she whispered in response.

Happy that her friend had promised her dying wish, Pallas slowly closed her eyes, just as her heart stopped beating.

Athena continued to hold her cold body, crying with absolute sorrow in her immortal heart.

* * *

How sad it was that such a normal day had turned into one of pain.

Athena was no longer looking at the projections of her festival in the scrying waters of the pool. Instead, she was looking at the silver blade dagger in her hands, which she had conjured up out of thin air. The very same dagger that had killed Pallas.

As she gazed at the weapon, she recalled what had happened afterwards of that day.

_Triton was of course immensely pained by the death of his daughter. His cries were so loud that even the sea creatures seemed to have wept. He continued to cry even as the fire of the funeral pyre burned Pallas' body, and he continued to cry when he sprinkled her ashes into the sea. _

_Athena had been in attendance of her funeral, but she made no move to console Triton, for he now shunned her and harboured hatred towards her for killing his blood daughter. Athena was heartbroken that she had lost the love of her surrogate father, but thought of it as a suitable punishment for her crime._

_She never wanted Pallas to leave from her heart and wanted to do something to show her importance. She recalled what Pallas had said before their fight._

Winner will do as they wish to the loser.

_So Athena did as she wished to Pallas; she crafted the Palladium._

_The Palladium was made entirely out of wood and was fashioned from Athena's own hands to exactly resemble Pallas. When Athena was done, she was amazed by how the statue exactly looked like her deceased best friend. If only she could make it real. If only she could revive Pallas' soul. But of course, that was absolutely impossible._

_Athena wanted the statue to stand next to the figure of the highest authority in Mount Olympus; her father, Zeus. When she finally had the statue standing next to the one of her father, Zeus had appeared, and she watched in confusion as he secured one of his aegis' on the chest of the Palladium._

_In addition to the Palladium, Athena took Pallas' name as hers, as another way to have her best friend close to her. She wore the name with both pride and grief._

She didn't realize she was crying until she saw a bead of a tear fall onto the silver blade of the dagger.

Athena looked back at the images in the scrying waters. Projections were shown of the people of Athens still chanting her name, "Pallas Athena! Pallas Athena!"

Hearing her best friend's name and her name being said together also reminded Athena that she had indeed stayed strong after the whole ordeal and accomplished many great things to respect the love of the mortals. It was the fulfilment of Pallas' last wish.

Suddenly, a smile formed slowly on Athena's lips, and she whispered into the air, "Thank you, Pallas, for your forgiveness."

* * *

Author's Note:

So what do you think? Was it alright?

I'm afraid that my writing may have gone rusty while I had been away, but I really hoped the story was good enough.

Next up on my list is an Artemis fic. My favorite myth about her. Can anyone guess which is it? Prologue will be published tomorrow, with the first chapter published on the same day or the day after.

See you then!

_Muse of Fanfiction_


End file.
